The Vancouver Island Health Authority has developed a new DVD

The Vancouver Island Health Authority has developed a new DVD educational tool that it hopes will increase cultural safety for Aboriginal people in the health care system. Speaking at a ceremony at the Quinsam Centre on the We Wai Kai Nation/Cape Mudge as part of the VIHA board meeting in Campbell River in March, VIHA President and CEO Howard Waldner said: “VIHA serves broad and diverse populations, and we are not always as knowledgeable as we would like to be around the cultural practices of Aboriginal people.” The DVD provides an overview of traditional Aboriginal approaches to health care and medicine, and builds “understanding about how over 150 years of Aboriginal interaction with government agencies have shaped many Aboriginal people’s views of the modern health care system,” said Waldner.†The National Aboriginal Health Organization of Canada defines cultural safety as “what is felt or experienced by a patient when a health care provider communicates with the patient in a respectful, inclusive way, empowers the patient in decision-making and builds a health-care relationship where the patient and provider work together as a team to ensure maximum effectiveness of care.” Aboriginal people have the same goal as everyone else when in the health care system, said Chief David Bob, co-chair of VIHA’s Aboriginal Health Council. “The desire to be respected and understood. Culture is an essential part of who we all are as individuals. Without understanding the culture, you cannot understand the individual. And if you don’t understand the individual, you cannot effectively care for and treat them.” The DVD is called “Journey of Discovery.” It explores misconceptions that exist about First Nations/Aboriginal cultures and perceptions, and encourages VIHA staff to reflect on their own cultural attitudes, considering topics such as respect for the patient, respect for family and the importance being self-aware, non-judgmental and compassionate.